Category: Feature
Safe and Smart: The Differences and Similarities in IoT and Security Deployments in Global Cities
From the power of AI-enabled solutions to increased mobility through smart devices, the idea of the connected world is being shaped by the increased demand for and adoption of transformative technologies. These networked devices and platforms are having a significant impact on our daily lives, changing how we interact with each other, how we do business and how we communicate. Furthermore, these solutions are converging – allowing people and businesses to think about interacting with once separate entities in new and exciting ways. Most discussion around the connected world is centered on smart and safe city projects. These initiatives are emerging in cities around the world as a more reliable, efficient and cost-effective way to ensure safe, secure, intelligent and sustainable urban environments. According to a Black & Veatch Smart Cities and Utilities Report, an estimated 20 safe city pilot programs were underway in the United States in 2018, in addition to the other initiatives in place in Dubai, Singapore, London, Mumbai and many others. Building intelligence Both safe and smart cities rely on information collated from an array of sensors and databases combined with video data and analytics including facial recognition, behavioral analysis, license plate recognition and other intelligence. Effectively collecting, analyzing, storing and acting on all of this information in real time is critical to achieve the goals of both safe and smart cities. When you think about a smart city, I’m sure you imagine smart parking systems, streetlights and transportation systems. It is the emergence of these intelligent digital technologies that are critical in the effort to improve the quality of life of residents and make everyday services run smoothly. When you think of a safe city, I’m sure video surveillance cameras come to mind and some of those highly advanced scenarios with analytics that you’ve seen on CSI-type shows. In typical smart city projects, public safety takes a back seat – but it shouldn’t. The very foundation of a smart city is safety. A safe city means reduced crime and safer conditions for visitors, which is more attractive for local businesses. A strong public safety stance also helps improve response to potential incidents, stopping unwelcome behavior before it escalates further. But these functions – safe, smart or both – rely on data. The question then begs, what do we do with all this data being collected? The future of the intelligent city While most major cities rely on video, security and IoT platforms to better protect and optimize their communities, these solutions are often decentralized, disconnected, outdated, prone to failures and costly to maintain. Additionally, increased requirements for real-time analytics to improve situational awareness grow as data capture efforts increase. As collected data expands, traditional IT infrastructures often fall short of fulfilling the demands of safe and smart city initiatives. In addition to effectively monitoring, storing, securing, processing and mobilizing data from hundreds to thousands of cameras and sensors spread across a city at all times, a city’s IT infrastructure solution must integrate seamlessly with existing and new IoT technologies. Additionally, it must support the multi-use case demands of safe and smart city initiatives, as well as big data and analytics applications of video-based metadata, crowd management, sanitation, public transportation and traffic monitoring. An agile, software defined infrastructure solution with the right combination of performance, resilience and scalability can ensure all the elements of a city’s safety and security environment work together to protect citizens from crime and terrorism and mitigate risk associated with natural disasters and other threats. Additionally, it can support and facilitate communication between law enforcement agencies, fire and EMS departments, and public health and social service organizations. Intelligent hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) allows for the consolidation of video management, IoT data collection, video and data analytics and storage, access control and other related safe and smart city applications onto a single, simple-to-deploy, easy-to-manage industry-standard appliance. Intelligent HCI eliminates the complexity of separate physical servers and storage and provides a more seamless way to scale the infrastructure as camera or sensor counts grow and analytics demands increase. Where smart and safe cities stand From my perspective, smart cities and safe cities are one and the same and that’s how it should be. As IoT technologies continue to converge, it will be easier for safe and smart devices to ‘talk’ to each other and build more intelligent, secure environments. This interconnectivity will be vital in not only creating convenient cities, but also ensuring those cities are safe for our people. Brandon Reich Vice President of IoT and Security for Pivot3
Hikvision Protects Education Campuses with Advanced Video Surveillance Solutions
An educational environment conducive to learning requires at the minimum to keep school children safe and secure; however, given the wide range of sizes and types of educational institutions, it’s easier said than done. High-profile violence in educational environments highlights the urgency for the security and safety systems, where challenges extend beyond preventing the active shooter incidents that grab headlines. In the United States, 79% of public schools recorded one or more incidents of violence, theft or other crimes, calculating to 1.4 million crimes a year. That translates to a rate of 29 crimes per 1,000 students. Security is a 24-hour challenge. Protecting schools involves deployment of a range of security and physical hardening tools. Reducing risk requires access to school buildings be controlled, while also preserving an ‘open’ campus atmosphere that promotes learning environment. Schools should be an inviting place for students and families, and so technology solutions aimed at restricting access should be low-profile and unobtrusive. School security must also be designed in layers, or there should be concentric circles of protection, starting at the school’s perimeter and working inward to secure individual classrooms and other internal areas. How technology helps Video surveillance technology can promote security right from the beginning i.e., at the outermost boundaries, at the perimeter and within the boundaries of the school environments. Surveillance keeps a silent but constant watch on people who come and go. Artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technologies are further increasing the capabilities of real-time video surveillance to provide early warning of a possible security threat as a person enters the campus. AI and deep learning analyze the content of video feeds and provide usable information to the security personnel including analysis of trends and real-time alarms when an event takes place. In addition to controlling perimeter access, AI based video surveillance also keeps watch on a school campus even before and after school time, and even on weekends when extra-curricular activities may be taking place. The systems monitor and help control traffic flow to ensure that only authorized vehicles enter an area. The AI-driven video systems also enable greater effectiveness to the systems that are not being monitored actively. Video feeds are analyzed in real-time and alarms can be raised only if there is a problem. Use case: Controlling illegal parking and restricted areas at schools Whenever a vehicle passes into a restricted area in a school campus, the video system captures vehicle image and automatically provides significant data. Automated number plate recognition (ANPR) systems identify the license numbers of cars, match the numbers to a watch list and provide alarms, if required. The technology can also be used to monitor compliance within restricted areas – for example, to allow only those vehicles that are registered for a parking lot. Video systems with illegal parking detection can define a zone for no parking at a school. With vehicles entering the no parking area, the cameras are triggered to collect evidence – images of illegally parked vehicles are captured, and the system becomes able to provide data including the vehicle plate number and when and where the parking violation occurred. Use case: Controlling ‘buses only’ and restricted areas Traffic cameras with deep learning technology can identify and classify vehicles to differentiate between small and large vehicles. It can also detect a vehicle’s make, model and colour. Thus, today it is possible to differentiate between cars and buses in ‘buses only’ areas. The system can also capture images and produce alarm if a vehicle is driven in wrong direction – for instance into an exit-only lane, or the wrong way on a roadway. Currently such cameras are more commonly deployed on public streets and highways. Use case: Facial recognition at school entrances Facial recognition is used at the school entrances and gates, as well as inside the school buildings to promote the security of students. A facial recognition terminal installed at the entrance of a campus building or library can be configured to ensure that only registered students and staff have access to the buildings. People-counting cameras used in cafeterias and libraries provide daily or monthly traffic reports that help better understand peak times and arrange workflow accordingly. Clarity is paramount when identifying faces, and cameras that provide wide dynamic range (WDR) can offset challenges such as backlighting on a bright day when the light behind a person coming in is brighter than the ambient light inside. Unified solution combines various applications Feeds from all cameras can be managed, monitored and stored in an authorised security center, either located on the campus or in a central location that combines camera feeds from multiple campuses in a school district, for example. In general, security staff can access surveillance data in a variety of ways – via a desktop, laptop or mobile device. Such flexibility makes the job of security personnel easier. Campus police or resource officer can view the video on a mobile device while patrolling the campus. Often video surveillance systems at schools are not monitored well. School security personnel have more pressing duties than sitting in front of a video monitor, and therefore it is difficult for operators to stay alert for detailed incidents that may be shown on the screen. Tedious and error-prone manual monitoring can now be replaced by more intelligent systems that provide alarms only when there is something to see. A defence line for safer learning environment Systems to maximize school surveillance and security include dedicated, high-performance cameras for event capture, embedded network video recorder for event recording and storage, and a centralized video management platform to unify the system. AI and deep learning technologies automate security processes and provide useful real-time information that extends beyond video images. Deploying these technologies at the perimeter can promote better security campus-wide by preventing danger from entering the learning environment.
Evolving Technologies and Work Force Challenges in the Workplace
The management of a facility or workplace is all about making the environment a desirable one for people to work and live in, rather than being a mere part of the job profile. The human experience is the key differentiator for how people engage with an organization – both operationally and strategically. Office environment represents so much more than a workplace. It is like a home away from home. The employee experience is the sum total of all interactions an employee has with his or her employer. The impact of the air movement, air conditioning and natural ventilation and green surroundings are enriching work experience of the employees. Globally the technologies are evolving at a very rapid pace constituting major disruptions that are knocking at the doors of the ecosystem of integrated facility management head on. Artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Block Chain, big data analytics and cloud computing have impacted every facet of life and businesses, and private security industry is no exception. At one end the entire landscape of integrated facility management (IFM) is witness to new emerging tools which offer huge potential to help improve functions and efficiency of the facility managers but at the same time they are the key drivers behind the changes in design of workplace to suit the aspirations of employees. Let us see in succeeding paras as to how innovative technologies have impacted various workplaces – be it smart city, construction site or a corporate office. Internet of Things (IoT) It has been very common and natural for me in daily routine life that after office hours my five year old grandson tracks my arrival right from the parking slot to the elevator using AI tools and welcomes me. He opens the door, switches on the TV and AC, and starts the music all using IoT. It is amazing to see the ease of doing things which are facilitated by IoT and AI. Same goes for the work place. IoT has connected each and every electronic appliances and system on the floor. The diagram below elucidates and amplifies the world around us in a workplace. Some of the other benefits of the IoT also include predictive maintenance, energy efficiency, better asset optimization, efficient construction management, real time data accessibility, and air quality management. The innovative technologies Risk management Emerging technologies and tools also give much needed boost to the risk management and mitigation through prior warning of eminent attacks, collection of private information (GDPR ), smart security surveillance, and intelligent building control systems and robotics. Safety compliance and data security remain imperative. Operational excellence I n the field of operational excellence, facility managers worldwide are now focused on workplace efficiency in total contrast to the past when their counterparts were busy handling mechanics and daily functions. Present day reality is that they have the ownership of a plethora of smart connected devices and are working collaboratively with other personnel. As our operational processes evolve so do the skill sets of our professional. Data analytics Data analytics also holds a very vital function in today’s work space. There is no dearth of data, but data alone does not provide the answers. Smart workplaces require equally smart insights. Data must be used to suggest design interventions that will enhance business performance. Data is not meant for archives or for flashing it to the audience in seminars but it should be used to drive design, linking business strategic aims and day to day operations. The leveraging on data obtained from IoT can happen in many ways like reduction in consumption, reduction in labor costs, and proactive maintenance – enabling reduction in recurring cost of maintenance. New generation workforce I n 2020 generation Y will form the workforce. Organizations must consider life stages when developing workspaces since people are working longer and various generations are involved at same floor. Wellness is becoming a global trend to ensure work-life balances and simultaneously workspaces must boost productivity of the workers. To retain staff, high quality services are on demand like F&B, employee lounges and fitness centres. Future of work continues to evolve while attempting to attract and retain the talent. World is moving towards shared economy and has given grounds to open spaces vs traditional modular cabins for office. Co-working spaces lack hierarchy and flexibility. Resultantly, facility managers are learning to manage new and unique office spaces. HR – The centre stage When the entire world is all gung ho about the efficiency and comfort all around due to emerging technologies that are making way at the workplace, it will be a nightmare for the HR to search, select, acquire, train and deploy a suitably enabled FM because even machines need the human touch. HR will occupy the centre stage as employees wellness program will always be the understatement of the fact that holistic view of human experience makes all the difference. As the disruption and uncertainty become the new status quo, smart companies will transform their workplaces to be agile and adaptable to ever changing economic, societal and technological realities. Executives will improve their workplaces to serve as the centre of innovation and create experience-rich environments that help attract and retain talent.
Digital Infrastructure Vs Cyber Threats
It is indeed not only a current fact but also an unavoidable need that no country or economy can survive and progress without having a resilient and robust digital infrastructure as a backbone to support its ecommerce, health, education, agriculture, manufacturing and all service sectors. However more a country has the exposure to digitalisation, more commensurate risk is manifested by virtue of a spurt in probability of cyber and hacking attacks as vulnerabilities or point of intrusion (PoI) multiplies. It is also reported in a study carried out by Huawei that artificial intelligence (AI) could almost double the value of global digital economy to $23 trillion by 2025 from $12.9 trillion in 2017. However, the worldwide scarcity of AI talent is a challenge and threat to this growth. So, a strong cyber security defence for digital infrastructure is a top priority for each country. Latest updates & serious incidents One of the reports in the Washington Post stated that Chinese government hackers have stolen highly-sensitive ‘top secret category’ files on underwater warfare. The files include the data that pertains to a supersonic anti-ship missile meant for the use on US submarines. Though the Chinese Embassy in the US has denied any such incident, it is reported that hackers targeted a contractor who works for the Naval Undersea Warfare Centre, a military entity based in Newport, Rhode Island. As reported, it was related to the project called ‘Sea Dragon.’ So, it is one of the most serious incidents of hacking so far as it has a potential that could bring two countries at loggerheads against each other with serious consequences. One can look at this incident as to what kind of pursuits/ measures shall be taken forward in times to come. People all over the world and now even in India are chugging data like never before. In just last three years, the use of data in India has increased fifteen times. It stood at 4GB per capita on 31 December 2017 which within a year rose to 5.5GB per capita by December 2018. Data has become cheaper and faster. India provides data globally at the cheapest rate and its expansion is fastest. Cyber threats have also increased in the same proportion as hackers do spend energy and resources to remain ahead to the counterparts who design improved defence processes and technologies to counter. About 500 million Indians were online in 2017 and the rate is growing exponentially. The Indian annual growth rate is about four times of the global average which is just 3%, even though India is still considerably underpenetrated compared to China and USA. Half of these online Indians usually make use of social media platforms while about 40% use e-mail and search. It is expected that e-commerce business in India shall become nearly $130-140 billion by the end of 2020. Indian digital economy itself is expected to be about $1 trillion by 2024, and hence, this volume of business shall also be at risk caused by cybercrimes and hacking attacks. In a sensational case, CBI booked unknown officials of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the promoter of a stock-trading company OPG Securities, and an economist and former consultant in the finance ministry for manipulating NSE software to get prior access to the markets after opening, ahead of other brokers by some seconds, to make gains in trade. It is just to make out how serious such incidents could be as it offers serious challenges to a market place globally that deals in trillions of dollars every day. The researchers have discovered a way to crash a person’s desktop or laptop simply by playing a sound through the device’s speakers. Such techniques could disrupt surveillance systems and sabotage medical devices. It has been published by a US and a Chinese university with details of their findings in a paper titled ‘Blue Note: How International Acoustic Interference Damages Availability and Integrity in Hard Disk Drives and Operating Systems.’ This discovery is the latest in a long line of methods available to attackers to crash devices remotely, which include symbols and messages sent by a text message or other messaging apps. There is a new crypto-jacking cyber warfare where the injected malware infiltrates target’s systems and converts computers into zombies. In doing so the primary intention of hackers is not to steal information but to mine crypto currencies. It was used against nearly 2000 computers of Aditya Birla Group. One of the symptoms noticed during the attack was of slowing down of the machines. The digital currency that was mined in this attack was Monero. This currency is virtually untraceable and believed to be more anonymous than Bitcoin, the best known crypto currency which experienced huge volatility amid regulatory crackdowns and strong interest from wealthy investors who chose to diversify beyond conventional securities and central bank-backed dominant fiat currencies like dollar and euro. A team of Dutch security researchers recently unveiled some new findings regarding ‘Rowhammer,’ an unintended side effect in DRAM chips that can be used to tamper with an entire computer which could be an effective way to hijack any smart phone. Though Google says that it is still a theoretical concept and not yet used in any attack but it is for sure that the smart phone manufacturers have to use a permanent fix for the same while incorporating them in designs. It is also a fact that the first native blockchain mobile phone by the HTC has been unveiled as HTC-Exodus. The Android powered Exodus device features a universal wallet and hardware support for all major crypto currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and decentralized apps. So, one more new challenge is on the horizon. Though GDPR has been put in place by EU and Justice Krishna’s report on data protection in India is out but there is a lot that needs to be taken care of, and such laws are to be constantly improved and updated keeping pace with…
3 Ways Traka Makes Facility’s Fleet Management Easy
In the logistics and distribution industry, overseeing fleet management can be far from easy. When you have thousands of drivers and vehicles that transport goods, you’re bound to lose precious minutes due to misplaced keys or vehicles – and those add up to millions annually. How do you get back your lost time and maintain full visibility over your entire fleet of vehicles? Local benefits of Traka’s fleet management Shipping quickly and efficiently is the bread and butter of the logistics and distribution industry. Then it goes without saying that access to a warehouse’s vehicles and inventory should be properly safeguarded to prevent the loss or damage thereof. One clear way to avoid this is by ensuring that access is limited to only the staff with correct login credentials, but how to make that process as streamlined as possible? Here’s where Traka’s iFob comes in. The Traka iFob can be programmed to act as an electronic key for the vehicles by integrating with powerful software each time it’s received from Traka’s intelligent key cabinet. The system then determines whether or not a user is permitted to access that key. If a vehicle is faulty, an authorised user can notify the management of it when putting their key back into the cabinet. Traka’s system will prevent others from accessing the vehicle until a repair is carried out, protecting the rest of the staff from using defective vehicles. This also makes the vehicles last longer. In short, the results of a Traka fleet management solution include: Controlled access to warehouse and vehicles. Minutes saved from knowing where to get the keys at any time. 24/7 audit trail tracking key use for complete visibility over operations. Safer work environment and longer life of vehicles. Let’s think beyond the local benefits for a moment, though. What are the regional benefits of a Traka system? At the regional level, the local benefits are amplified due to Traka’s administrative control. All key tracking information and permissions are stored in each Traka key cabinet, which allows administrators to see who possess which kind of key, and when they received it. Changing access permissions takes just seconds, and has a near-instant effect across all the Traka key cabinets, making employee turnover less stressful. With Traka, the solution can track: Location of each vehicle and distance logging. Mileage, fuel levels and scheduled vehicle maintenance. Status of each vehicle in a large vehicle fleet. And it can do it all in a streamlined system managing all facilities and warehouses. Global benefits of Traka’s fleet management Now look at all these benefits globally. By having complete visibility over operations – even across hundreds of miles – the overwhelming task of managing a large fleet is largely automated. This makes scaling the business easier because one can easily replicate this system in different locations. With their central reporting, one can say with confidence how much mileage their company uses on average each year. They can decrease the wear and tear on their vehicles by scheduling enforced maintenance alerts while increasing accountability for all employees with audit trails for each vehicle. As we mentioned before, a few minutes saved for each driver by finding their key in the same place each morning can translate across thousands of drivers, saving a company millions of dollars annually, and these are just their solutions for fleet management!
When Lightning Strikes Your Office
Each day, millions of workers in office buildings around the world use a wide range of electronic equipment to perform their jobs including laptops, desktop computers, phones, printers, alarm systems, scanners, projectors, and more. Technology has created many benefits for today’s businesses including faster communication between devices, integrated usage and optimized operations. It allows us to accomplish everyday office functions efficiently and effectively, while keeping staff connected to suppliers, customers and their sales team. However, with these benefits come new dangers to your operations. While electrical outlets provide power, they are also susceptible to lighting strikes – and there are more than 20 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the U.S. each year. More common, however, are power surges and spikes that go mostly unnoticed every day. These temporary and instantaneous events exceed ‘normal’ electrical line voltage, and can cause serious damage to anything plugged into those outlets, including sensitive office equipment. Businesses with electronic systems in hazardous locations such as potentially explosive atmospheres obviously are exposed to catastrophic risks. Businesses located in areas with poor local power quality or where weather conditions make lightning strikes more likely also face increased risk of damage from power surges. The result can be a spike in the supplied power that is well above a device’s normal operating voltage, and that can cause an arc of electrical current within the appliance. When this happens, the heat generated in the arc can cause damage to the circuit boards and other electrical components. Data can be lost, expensive equipment may need to be replaced, and the most costly effect can be downtime that results in lost productivity or lost customers. Conventional fuses and circuit breakers do not guard against surges. Surge protective devices (SPDs) need to be installed on every electrical pathway to ensure that critical business equipment is guarded from damaging surge events. Once installed, SPDs protect the connected system from large, externally-generated surge events, as well as smaller, daily surge events. Yet, what happens when the SPD has reached the end of its useful life? How often can management send someone around to every closet and equipment room to check every single surge protector? The moment that person turns away from an apparently operational SPD, an unnoticed small surge could end the life of the device, leaving the system fully at risk. DITEK has taken surge protection even further to ensure that SPDs are working correctly and to remove the guesswork out of the entire process. DITEK’s Deflector SPD lets you know in three distinct ways when it requires attention. This virtually eliminates the problem of an SPD becoming non-functional without you realizing it. Each Deflector series surge protector features dry contacts for external notification, and an LED health status indicator that flashes and sounds an audible alarm when the module needs to be replaced. Thanks to the use of rapid-replacement modules, it is possible to have the unit up and running again in only a few seconds. You can’t prevent power surges in your office, but you can minimize any damage to your critical equipment by using surge protection, especially brands that provide the highest levels of protection against power surges, equipment failure and costly downtime. Cheryl Derenthal – Ditek
Vanderbilt Seismic Detectors
Hollywood may have glorified heists with classic movies like Die Hard, Heat, Oceans 13, The Italian Job, and The Town. But what about the technology that protects financial institutions against such incidents in real-life? For instance, look at the science and technology behind Vanderbilt’s range of Seismic Detectors. These are specifically designed for round-the-clock monitoring of safes, auto mated teller machines (ATMs), night deposits, strong rooms and modular vaults. They have been developed for false alarm immunity and are optimized for installation on steel, concrete and synthetic composite materials. What exactly is it about Seismic that makes it so fascinating? Well, here’s where real-life science and technology proves far more intriguing. All known types of intruder attacks generate unique vibration patterns. Each attack tool, whether they are drills, flame cutters or explosives, produce specific mechanical vibrations, giving it a unique acoustic fingerprint. The timing, frequency and amplitude of these acoustic fingerprints are used to convert mechanical and thermal vibrations into electrical signals. When Seismic’s bimorph sensor detects noise or vibrations, their characteristic values are analyzed precisely using a Senstec digital signal, based on unique algorithms developed and compared to those threat profiles, to determine whether an alarm should be triggered. The frequency of these signals is then measured and checked against that of known attacks, to decide whether to alarm or not. Thus, routine ‘noises’ such as traffic or electromagnetic interferences, causing structure-borne sounds to be propagated through the protected structure, will not cause false alarms. So, in a nutshell, an 18-wheeler truck rumbles past on the street, no alarm. But if a thief with a thermal lance tries to burn their way through the steel enclosure, they will set off alarms. These structure-borne vibrations, caused by even the subtlest attacks, can be detected at a very early stage, and when they are, an alarm is repeatedly triggered giving ample time for intervention before the intruder has managed to gain access to the valuables or inflict serious structural damage. So, there you have it. The science and technology that works against these would-be threats in real-life is indeed in a league of its own.
Intelligent Data Security for Mission-Critical IT
The Pivot3 hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) software platform delivers a comprehensive set of data security capabilities to increase security posture and ensure compliance with industry’s information security regulations. Data security management is integrated into the Pivot3 software platform’s Intelligence Engine, which provides a simple, policy-based approach to encryption and key management. Comprehensive, low overhead data at rest encryption Pivot3 encrypts user and application data at a system-, volume- or (virtual machine) VM-level to provide comprehensive security. A robust advanced encryption standard (AES) 256-bit algorithm is used to ensure that maximum levels of military grade security are applied to the data, in accordance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 standards. The encryption process has low overhead and minimal performance impact (less than 5%) through tight integration with the Intel® AES new instructions (Intel® AES NI) set that accelerates the encryption of data in the Intel® Xeon® processor family. By combining more intelligent data protection with Pivot3 patented erasure coding, and faster and more comprehensive data security, IT can now deliver efficient and pervasive data protection and encryption. Flexible, secure multi-tenancy With close to 75% of security breaches – malicious, accidental or otherwise – coming from within the network, it is critical to have control and insight to who has access to data. By providing different data owners with different encryption keys, security can be maintained even if multiple tenants use the same HCI system. A series of role-based access control features are also available to help IT administrators and security managers mitigate threats from unauthorized access. These include ‘least man privileges’ where unless a user has been given specific authorization, it is assumed that they have the lowest level of privileges in managing the system and ‘twoman authentication’ where certain actions can be escalated up the management chain for approval before the system will carry them out. With flexible multi-tenancy capabilities, one can consolidate multiple users and organizations on one Pivot3 HCI system and still maintain compliance boundaries where unauthorized actions can be stopped before they take place. Additionally, Pivot3’s advanced and detailed logging capabilities provide a level of detail, deemed suitable by NIST, HIPAA, GDPR and other standards for an audit trail, meaning that all audits will be performed quickly, efficiently and effectively. Simple, policy-based management Policy-based management is a standard capability in the Pivot3 Intelligence Engine, a core foundation of the Pivot3 software platform. Encryption and key management are also managed using this simple, policy-based paradigm. This simplifies the management of the environment as it scales and simplifies the deployment process of sensitive or regulated workloads. Integrated key management Encryption and key management can be applied at a system-, volume- or VM-level. Pivot3’s integrated key management uses open standards key management interoperability protocol (KMIP) for strong security and interoperability with a variety of key managers. Finally, it is important in regulated environments to provide an audit trail to the necessary authorities, and should a breach occur, regardless of the source, there needs to be a forensically examinable audit trail of actions, authorizations and decisions made. Additional system-level security features Pivot3 has also implemented a series of system-based security features to aid in the undercover management of security at the device layer, enhancing those features at the data level. Mutual CHAP authentication allows secure connectivity and interaction between VM and storage volume. Integration with VMware single sign-on (SSO) promotes a simplification of user authentication, meaning that any potential loopholes between user interfaces are closed before they have a chance to be exploited. Having undergone the rigorous common criteria process, Pivot3 has been certified as a hardened and secure solution that meets the high standards for use in sensitive federal government environments, further attesting to the overall security robustness of the Pivot3 platform.
Smart Casino Solutions For Gaming, Surveillance and Marketing
Casino operators are looking intensively for solutions to transform the multitude of process data into useful business intelligence information. With its ‘Smart Casino Solutions,’ Dallmeier is pursuing a unique approach in which the manufacturer’s leading video technology is linked to AI systems. Many casino operators are still struggling with undetected fraud and theft, high operating costs and inefficient manual processes. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) promises significant improvements. Due to the large number of video systems in casino operation, the linking of digitally available data with information that can be generated from video systems is particularly obvious. However, this requires that the resolution quality of the video images can be precisely defined in all relevant areas. Only this way, the data quality required for AI systems and the respective application case can be guaranteed. Dallmeier camera systems fulfil exactly this functionality and offer completely new solutions in combination with AI systems. Gaming: Casino automation technology for Blackjack & Baccarat Classical table games like Blackjack or Baccarat were difficult to integrate into data processing and analysis because of their ‘analog’ character. Dallmeier’s casino automation technology (CAT) – one of the first gaming automation systems to be live in a production environment – uses AI technologies and standard full HD IP cameras to capture a wide variety of data. In this way, CAT enables a multitude of insights and the automation of essential processes – the system detects chips and cards, provides real-time information about placement and the value of bets, game speed and float value, to name just a few important functionalities. For the first time, this enables accurate player evaluation, a significantly increased game speed and much more effective protection against fraud. CAT is available for Baccarat and Blackjack. Surveillance: Casinos minimise their TCO with Panomera® In addition, classical surveillance and CCTV also play a major role in casinos. Large areas need to be monitored to protect guests, players, staff and the casino’s inventory. With the latest model of the patented Panomera® cameras, a 360-degree version, casino operators can cover much larger areas with the same number of operators and at the same time significantly improve overall security with a high-resolution 360-degree view of the ‘entire scene.’ The combination of a complete overview and the highest detail resolution is particularly impressive. Even distant objects are displayed with the same resolution as objects in the front image area. In the event of an incident, the operator can zoom into the scenes as with a PTZ camera – but without losing the overall picture, neither live nor in the recording. Even multiple operators can zoom in at the same time to solve complex scenarios. Significantly fewer cameras reduce the infrastructure and operating costs, and at the same time security goals can be achieved much better. Marketing: Smart marketing measures for business intelligence The benefits of Dallmeier’s Smart Casino Solutions are rounded off in marketing. Through the intelligent combination of video technology based functions (e.g., people counting) with AI-based gaming automation technologies and other analysis techniques, casinos can gain access to a previously hidden treasure trove of data. Collecting, analyzing and understanding this data helps casinos better plan their business and make more informed decisions for loyalty programs based on the behavior and preferences of their visitors and players.
See More with AI Solutions
To compete and thrive in today’s crowded markets, businesses and institutions need to work smarter. Based on a technology called Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI) ‘trains’ computers to do tasks faster and better than what human beings can do. For example, in the application of video technology, AI makes it possible for security and business systems to recognise people, vehicles, as well as identify customer interests and certain scenarios that may sometime have human oversight like shelf items are running out of stock, and more. This means it’s now possible to automate many key surveillance tasks and business processes. Work smarter and safer with Hikvision When it comes to delivering the insights that today’s organisations need, Hikvision is a pioneer in security and beyond. Our industry leading smart cameras and infrastructure solutions, engineered with AI technology integrate a range of tools to support smarter decision making, from people counting and facial recognition to vehicle recognition and automated security alerts. The application for Hikvision’s smart technologies is virtually limitless. We help banks protect employees, customers, branch offices and ATMs. We help retailers understand footfall in their stores and optimise their merchandising strategies, and we help city authorities reduce congestion and pollution with smart traffic management solutions. One partner with a world of insights Hikvision offers a broad range of technologies needed to help organisations work smarter – from next-generation cameras equipped with AI and deep learning technologies to smart ‘edge’ infrastructure and deep data analytics capabilities in the cloud. As such, we give one point of access to a world of insights to help organisations work smarter, and crucially protect people and assets from security threats. Powerful new technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence have recently been developed to offer an entirely new level of security. Video capture and recording solutions today can record facial images and compare them with incredible accuracy. Hikvision is right there at the forefront of this exciting new horizon in protecting our communities, loved ones and property. There are many ways to use facial recognition to keep people safe, enhance business operations, as well as improve our everyday lives with optimised services. Here’s a glimpse into how it works and how we can use it to make the world safer each time it’s needed. Law enforcement This technology serves the best where suspect identification is most critical, including government and diplomacy buildings: borders and customs areas: travel nodes such as air and sea ports, just to name a few. Also, law enforcement personnel will find a more efficient way to investigate incidents with advanced footage retrieval using recognition capabilities and vehicle traits analysis algorithms. Time & attendance reports Now there is a better way to track attendance. Based on facial recognition technology, this new method is quicker, safer and more accurate. Thanks to this technology, employees no longer need to remind themselves to carry ID cards all the time and professors will no longer need to take roll one by one. A great tool at educational campuses, factories, and events and conferences. VIP recognition Loyal VIP customers are enormously valuable to commercial entities, but the service staff cannot always identify them immediately. Intelligent facial recognition cameras, however, can provide unique opportunities that were previously unavailable. When customers choose to participate in VIP programs, marketing promotions or other incentives, facial recognition technology will give retailers accurate tools to identify VIPs and loyal customers so staff can provide the right kind of service at the right time. Hikvision facial recognition can create new possibilities to optimize next marketing programs. Blacklist alarm Using the Blacklist alarm provides extra help to law enforcement personnel to identify known suspects in designated areas and secure public safety. For commercial customers, a list of interesting people can be used in a similar way to trigger attention and action needed if ‘unwanted’ people are detected at sports venues, malls and hotels etc. This AI technology is applicable in banks, shops, airports and casinos. Vehicle identification management applications The ability to identify vehicles can provide major benefits for local authorities, businesses and a range of other organisations. It becomes possible, for instance, to improve entrance management to schools, offices and factories, or to implement congestion charging strategies in city centres. Vehicle recognition technology also supports a wide range of traffic management solutions that keep vehicles moving in busy urban areas, improve road safety and speed up responses to road traffic incidents and offences. As of now, this technology is mainly reflected on vehicle number plate recognition and vehicle feature recognition. Recognise vehicle number plates in real time The Hikvision ANPR application captures a vehicle’s license plate in real time, and compares and/ or adds it to a pre-defined list. Once a number plate is recognised and stored, an appropriate action is taken such as opening a gate, adding a cost, or generating an alert. Recognise vehicles Hikvision’s vehicle recognition feature uses a deep learning algorithm to distinguish between small and large vehicles, with the added ability to detect the make, model and colour. The system can be programmed to search for anomalies such as cars travelling in designated bus lanes, or vehicles driving without license plates. This AI application enables entrance, exit management, parking lot management and traffic violation management.